Discharge elevator for harvesters



Aug. 26, 1952 H. E. DE PENNING DISCHARGE ELEVATOR Foa HARVESTERS 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1945 umm ISM.

HWOZCZZe/QM@ k By @wao/2 dpa/way ey;

Aug. 26, 1952 H. E. DE PENNING 2,608,310

DISCHARGE ELEVATOR RoR HARVESTERS g Filed Feb. 7. 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2OOOOOOOO caoooI I @Miam Aug. 26, 1952 H. E. DE `PENWNG 2,608,310

DISCHARGE ELEVATOR FOR HARVESTERS l Filed Feb. 7. 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 5Inventor MJ? Allg 26, 1952 H. E. DE PENNING 2,608,310

DISCHARGE ELEvAToR FOR HARVESTERS Filed Feb. 7. 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Inventor Patented Aug. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATEN'I` Y. OFFICE `f e ee y 2,608,310: l DISCHARGE ELEvA'roR Foa HARvEs'ras A `Harold`E.1DePenning, Newtonrllowa 1 Application February 7, 1945, Serial No. 576.641

, l i This invention relates to corn harvesters and the like, and hasmoreparticular reference to an improved discharge elevator for`conveying the corn ears or the like from theharvester` to a wagon whichis drawn along at the rear of and by the harvester. .r 1 y l r Y Animportant object of the present invention is to' provide a discharge`elevatorof the above kind which'is `so mounted -andconnected to thewagon as to automatically swing laterally so as to follow the. line oftravel of the wagon when harvesting in 'curved rows. z

Another object of the invention is to provide an elevator of the abovekind including an elevating conveyor so mounted on the harvester" andconnectedwith the wagon as to swing vertically relative-to therlatter asrequired when theharvester passes over rises inthe ground.

l A still further object of the present invention is to` provide anelevator of the above kind ,including an elevating conveyor, a laterallyswinging hood carried by the discharge end of said conveyor fordirecting the corn ears or the like downwardly into the: wagon, andmeans for automatically laterally swinging the hood in the direction inwhich the harvester is'turned when steered to the left or right, so asto. insurepositive discharge of the corn ears or the like into the wagoneven vthough the latter occupies a position to one side of the harvesteras in moving around curves in curved rows.` f i. l Still another objectof the invention is toprovide a discharge elevator of the above kindwhich is comparativelysimple and compact .in construction, eiiicient inoperation and adapted for ready manufacture.andinstallation.V Y A Morespecific objects and features of the` invention will become apparentfrom the following description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and the invention consists in the novel form,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed.shown in the drawings and claimed. In the drawings, wherein likereference characters indicate` corresponding vparts throughout theseveral views: l 'f Figure l is a fragmentary side elevational viewillustrating the forward end portion of a wagon hitchedto the rear endportion of a harvester, and showing the harvester equipped withradislcharge elevator constructedV in accordance `with the presentinvention. f

Figure 2is a topplan view, partly broken away, of the conveyor` formingvpart, of the elevator.

Figure 3 is a similar bottom plan view thereof;

` 4 claims. (c1. 2li- 4.2i

l f 2 u Figure 4 `is an enlarged transverse section taken substantiallyon line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 isan enlarged fragmentaryv vertical section taken substantiallyon line 51-5 of Figurerl.v

, `Figure 6- isan elevational view of the telescopic unit for guidingVthe elevating conveyor in its vertical movementsV relative to thewagon..

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan viewtof the hitchpole whichis connected with thewagon and forms part of means for causing theelevating conveyor. to swing laterally so as to follow the path cf-`travel of the wagon.

Figure 8 is an enlarged transverse section taken online lU--lll ofFigure l. u n.

. Figure 9i is adiagrammatic plan view illustrating the action of vtheelevating conveyor and hood in negotiating turns in curved rows.

"Figure 10 is a diagrammatic1` side'` elevational view illustratingtheaction of the elevating conveyor in swinging'upwardly relative to thewagon when passing over rises in the ground. i

Referring in Adetailto the drawings. 5 indicate embodying harvestingmechanism'mounted upon anagricultural tractor 4 having a rearwardlyextending power take-oil shaft n6` (Fig. l). An ordinary farm ori grainwagon 'I of flare box type is towed at the rear of and'bythe tractor 4and includes atcngue or draft member Btpivotally connected, as at 9, tothe drawbar l0 of the tractor for lateral swinging movement relative tothe tractor. Asis usual, the draft member 8 has its rear end pivoted at8a tothe front axle of the wagon 'I-v for vertical swinging movement.Also, the harvested corn ears or the like are discharged at the rear ofthe harvester from thehusking rolls or rear conveyor means forming partof the harvester4 and Agenerally denoted by the numeral'll. i i i "Thepresent.invention-provides an improved elevator` forconveying the cornears vor 'the like from theV harvestert'othe wagon "l, and this elevatorincludes a conveyor l2' which is supported in a rearwardly and upwardlyinclined position and is provided atrits forward lower end with areceivinghopper I3 in which the corn ears or the like are dischargedfrom the rear conveyor meansll. L ,f Y Y z u T he conveyor I2 (Fig. 2)`is preferably ofa chain and scraper type, and includes a trough l5, apartition I6 spaced from and parallel with the bottom of the trough l5.and scraper plates` I1 carried byan endless chain `Hl whichris movablerearwardlyV and upwardly along the upper surl face of the partition I5and forwardly and downwardly beneath such partition. The chain I3 passesaround sprocket wheels I9 and 25 mounted on a foot shaft 2| and a headshaft 22, respectively, of the conveyor. Any conventional means may beprovided at 23 for adjusting the head shaft 22 longitudinally of thetrough I5 to provide for a desired tension of the chain I8.

The partition I5 is provided near its lower end portion withvperforations 30 through vwhichV dirt and the like may readily pass onto the bottom of the. trough I5. The bottom of the trough I5,

' below the perforations 30, is also provided withV I2', as at 38.

perforations 3l (Fig. 3) through which dirt and y the like may pass andfall on to the ground. In order to permit cleaning of larger particlesof dirt and trash fromr the trough, the. lower `pory"tion of its bottomwall includes a hinged section or trap door 32V that may be swungdownwardly to open position and which is releasably held in a raisedposition by means of aspring projected latch-33. t f Y The forward'e'ndof the .conveyor I2 `(llligs. 1 and `5) is supported lfrom the rear .end0ofthe tractor 4 by means including a bracket I5 which is carried on andextendsJrearwardly from the tractor. Arranged at opposite sides of thelower end of the conveyor I2 area` pair of downwardly projected bearing:plates and v80. Connected between the lower ends of .fthe lbearingplates 'I5 and 80,2 through the-provision of angle members 8| and`b'oltsIl2,is'/a horizontal bearing plate :24.

The horizontal bearing plate 24 (Fig. 5) is integrally-formed-at itscentral portionwithanupstanding circular wall orzhousing 85-forreceiving-a pair of reversely acting.' thrust bearings 86 and87.1".Journalediwithin the-bearings 85 and 8l and projected downwardly4through an opening 88 formed'` inzftheibearingl plate 24, is `a sleevebearinglQr-for argconveyor .drive shaft 25.V The thrust bearingfSI and8l are retained within the housing 85 byretaining nuts 'S0 and '9|threadable at oppositeiends of the'fsleeve lbearing 8,9;and

with .athelower lretaining nut SI being located within thexopening 88 ina 'supported positionon the "bracket .IL *It is 5seen, therefore; that.the conveyor isjsupported onA the bracket I4 through the 'bearings 8,6and 381 .and` the lower vretaining nut SI; 'for rotatableimovement in ahorizontal plane 'about the, upright shaft 25 as an axis;.The shaft V25islmaintainedagainst axial movement by retainingcollars-B. Y A AbevelYgear 25 (Figi 1), at the lowerend .of the conveyor drive shaft 25, fisadapted formeshing engagement lwith abevel gear 92 on; the tractor power,take-offishaft 6. The upper end of the drive` shaft 25rcarriesabevelgear 2,8 `which is in meshing engagement with `a bevel gear 28a mountedon an idler shaft 2'I. The shaft 21 extends transversely of the conveyorI2 .andzlhas its opposite ends'rotatably supported in thebearingjplatesI5handf8ll. Mounted at oneendof the shaft 21, Vat a positionoutwardlyfrom. the bearingplate 15, isa sprocket gear S4 whichis connectedthrough. a chain 2 9 with a sprocket' gear 95 carried on the foot shaft.ZI. Power-from 'the take-off shaft Ifisjthu's transmitted through thebevel gears 26 and 92, shaft 25, gears 28 and 28a, idler shaft 27 andgears 94 and 95 to the foot shaft V2 I, whichV drives the conveyor chainI8. The conveyor I2, is supported in aL-.desired'inclined position byvmeans including .a .forward frame `section .34 and a.; rear framesection 35. The forward frame 'section ASII is rigidly mounted at 34oupon the rear end of the tractor 4 and is supported in a rearwardly andupwardly inclined position by brace members 38. The forward end of therear frame section 35 is pivoted at 3l to the rear end of the forwardframe section 34 for pivotal movement about a vertical axis coincidentwith the shaft about which the conveyor I2 is adapted to swinglaterally. The connection of the frame sections, 34 and 35 with eachother is such as to maintain them at all times in the same angularrelation, with the section S5 being normally substantially horizontaland rigidly secured at its rear end to the sides of the conveyor A brace39 is connected between the trough I5 and the rear frame section 35.

In order to accomplish a lateral swinging movement of the' conveyor I2relative to the harvester 5, or tractor 4, such that the conveyor I2follows the path of travel of the wagon "I, and to also permit a freerelative upward movement between the conveyor I2 and the wagon l, atelescopic hitch pole 54D is connected between the forward Y end of thewagon 7. and the forward portion of the conveyor I2. The. telescopichitch pole .40 (Figs. l and 7) .includes an outer section 152 Vwhich hasits forward 'end pivoted at 4 onupright bars 45' arranged at oppositesides ofthe Vconveyor Y trough I5 and connectedbetween the forward endverticalfand horizontal swinging movementgrelative to the wagon. a v. l

, An upright telescopic unit liI` (Figs. .-1 and 6) is connected betweenan intermediate portion of Y the conveyor. I2 and the rear end xportionjof the section 42 .of ythe hitch pole, 5. The untM includes asubstantially Ueshapemember Sahaving a base section 149 welded yto thesection 42 ofthe hitch pole III). The basesection 45 is pivotallyconnected with thelegsfl of the U-member by bolts, 52. Arranged. inastraddling relation with the trough I5. is a pivoted Vframe structureV5I] which includes a-pairlof transversely spaced uprightl members. 41connected together. by brace members Gil.v The upperends of the memberslare. pivotedat 5I on the rear frame sectioni3`5 while their lower endsare adapted to receive, in Y a freely telescopic relation., theflegmembers v48 of the L J-member 99. The `telescopic unit'li is thus freelyextensible and collapsibleV with the pivots-'5I and 52 permittingachangeinthea'ngular relation between the unitk 4I and fthe-rear framesection 35 and hitch pole 58. i

VFrom the above descriptionritwill be seenthat when-.a wagon I islocated Vto oneside of theharvester5, as in negotiating curvesandi-'rows `(Fig. 9).; the' hitchpole 4I) will swing laterally with thewagonito provide vfor the conveyor v|27 swinging-in a similardirectionandto asimilar extent so that the conveyor will be properly disposed todischarge th'eharvested grain into the wagon at all tunes. This lateralmotion of the pole I0v is transmuted to vthe conveyor l2 throughthteieseopic unit `III.- Also when the harvester travels over u nevenground, it is necessary that upwardv relative'movement take-placebetween the conveyor I 2 and thewagon' 'Las -is diagrammaticallyVillus` trated in Fig. 10, for a travel of the harvester over a rise inthe ground surface. This relative movement is permitted by the action ofthe telescopic unit 4| in amannerrwhieh-is believed to be' apparent.`When the Aharves'terpasse's over arise in the ground surfaceuthe rearframe sectionz35` assumes an upwardly and rearwardly inclined positioncausing/the conveyor" I2 to move upwardly therewith. As the harvesterreaches level ground again, the `conveyor I2 is lowered with the framesection35 bythe collapsing action ofr `the. tele-` scopc unit 4I. H Y l,I

To support the hitch pole 40 against lowering on to the ground when a;nlled wagon is uncoupled from the tractor and a new wagon is to besubstituted therefor, a chain 53 may be attached to the rear end of theframe t5` and toga connecting ring 54l secured to the section 42 ofI thepole .40, as shown for the chain in. dottedlines in Fig. l. After thepole 40 has been coupled 'to the empty wagon, the chain 53 isdisconnected fromthe ring 54^and is hung fromltheffra'me section 35, asshown infull lines-in Fig. 1, `so as to permit a free up and downmovement'ofithe pole '4U and a free telescopic action of the unit'd I. s

Avhood 55 is pivotally mounted at 56 upon the rear discharge end `ofconveyorl I2 for llateral swinging movement relative to the latter. Thishood is closed atthe sides and top andop'enat the front and bottom torespectively communicate with the conveyor I2 and with the wagon 1. Inother words, the corn ears or the like which discharge from the upperend of conveyor I2 are directed rearwardly and downwardly by the hood 55into the wagon 1.

Means is provided for automatically swinging the hood 55 laterally inthe direction corresponding to .that in which the harvester is turnedwhen negotiating curves in rows. For this purpose, a stationarycross bar51 is provided on the rear end of frame section 34, and the forwardendsof cables 58 are connected to opposite end portions of the cross bar 51.As shown in Figure 9, the cables 58 are crossed above the conveyor I2and have their rear ends respectively connected to lateral arms 59 fixedto and projecting from opposite sides of the forward end of hood 55. Itwill thus be seen that when the harvester is steered laterally in eitherdirection, a pull will be exerted on one cable 58 while correspondingslack will be provided in the other cable so as to cause the hood 55 toswing laterally in the same direction as that toward which the harvesteris steered. This keeps the hood over the wagon body instead of allowingit to project beyond a side of the latter, thereby insuring that thecorn ears will be directed into the wagon body instead of onto theground at one side of the latter. This operation is clearlydiagrammatically illustrated in Figure 9, wherein it is shown that thewagon will occupy a position to one side of the harvester in negotiatingthe curve. Suitable guides 60 may be provided on opposite sides of theconveyor I2 for the cables 578, and the cross bar 51 may be providedwith a series of openings 6I in the opposite end portions thereof sothat the point of connection of the cables 58 with said cross bar 51 maybe adjusted to cause the proper degree of lateral swinging movement ofthe hood 55.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction andoperation, as well as the advantages of the present invention, will bereadily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. As theharvester moves ahead, the operator may cause the power take-oli shaftIi to be driven so that the power will be transmitted to the endlessmember of the conveyor I2 through the gearing described. As the cornears are discharged at the rear of the harvester into the hopper I3,they are conveyed rearwardly and upwardly by :thelconveyor `I 2 anddischarged, into the. wagon?. The .manner in which'the conveyor iscausedxto swing; .laterally and the manner in which. the .hood i 55 i issimilarly swung, as well as the purposes; thereof, have already been setforth. When traveling from one pointto another and not.- harvestingandvloading corn, the wagonll will not: be hitched.n Ito the` `harvesterand pole` 40 wilLbefsupported fbywchain'f53.. .At thisgtirne; theconveyor I2 isheld in line with the harvester and against swinginglaterally relative to the latter by rods52 hinged toopposite sides offrame section 353-1at,.63; and detachably engageable with framesection31|'V at `i511.A When not in fuse,` rods 6,2,l may jbeswung down alongopposite: sides of conveyor-.I2` and engaged `underzclips` or clamps 65carriedby` the latter, as; shown in Figure z It will be understood thatthe embodimentof the invention illustratedand` described is simplydisclosed by way o'f example. `In other words, the inventionrissusceptible of many modifications, andthe .details of construction maybe `widely variedgnlwithout. departing-.from the .spirit and scope oftheinvention as claimed. i Obviously, the details of the gearings used,the specific structure of the various elements, and the particularhood-swinging means may be changed to an extent such as fairly permittedwithin the spirit and scope oi the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. For use with a harvesting machine having an upwardly and rearwardlyinclined elevator pivoted at its lower end on said machine fortransverse pivotal movement and a wagon connected by a draft member tosaid machine in a trailing relation, the means for pivotally moving saidelevator to maintain the upper end thereof above said wagon during aturning movement of said machine comprising a telescopic connectionmovably connected to said machine and said wagon, a pivoted framestructure extended longitudinally of said machine, means pivotallysupporting the forward end of said frame structure on said machine forpivotal movement transversely of said machine about an axis coincidentwith the axis for said elevator, means connecting the rear end of saidframe structure with said elevator, and means connecting said elevatorwith said telescopic connection for transverse pivotal movement togetherand for relative up and down movement. i

2. For use with a harvesting machine having an upwardly and rearwardlyinclined elevator pivoted at its lower end on said machine fortransverse pivotal movement and a wagon connected by a draft member tosaid machine in a trailing relation, the means for pivotally moving saidelevator to maintain the upper end thereof above said wagon during aturning movement of said machine comprising a telescoping connectionAmovably connected to said machine .and saidv wagon, means supportingsaid elevator in an inclined position including an upwardly andrearwardly inclined frame structure mounted on said machine, a pivotedframe unit extended longitudinally of said machine having its front endpivotally supported on the rear end of said inclined frame structure forpivotal movement transversely of said machine about an axis coincidentwith the axisl for said elevator, means connecting the rear end of saidpivoted frame unit with said elevator, and an upright telescoping unitpivotally connected between said telescopic connection and saidelevator.

3. In combination with a harvesting machine connected by a draft'memberwithfa wagonand having anfupwardly and rearwardly extended elevator,supported at its lower end on the harvestingmachinefor pivotalrmovementtransversely ofthe machine, a hood member pivotally mounted on the upperendof said elevator for transverse pivotal movement for. directingmaterial dischargedfrom the-elevator into the wagon,atelcscopicvconnection movably connectedto the machine and saidwagon,means connecting the elevator with said telescopic connection fortransverse pivotal movement in response toa transverse swinging movementof said telescopic connection, and means responsive in operation to .aturning. movement of the machine for pivotally moving said hood inthesame directonas the elevator is pivotally.moved-'relative to themachine.

f 4. `For'use with a harvesting machinerhavingan upwardly andlrearwardly inclined elevator pivoted at its lower end on said machine.for transverse pivotal movement and a wagon connected. bya draftmemberto said machine in a trailing, relation,V the means for pivotallymoving 8 saidelevator to maintain the upper end thereof above said.wagon during aturning movement of said machine comprising a telescopinghitch pole movably connected to said machine and said wagon,r and'meansconnecting `said elevator with said hitch pole for transverse pivotalmovement together and for up and down movement ,of said hitchpolerelative to said elevator. i

. HAROLD E. DE PENNING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe -Ie ofthisv patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Elholm Dec. 7, Y'1943

